WWE 2K18: Release Date, Cover Art and Special Edition Info

WWE 2K18 aims to be the biggest edition from 2KSports yet upon arrival Friday for fans who preordered the game. 

With Seth Rollins draped on the cover, the game launches worldwide on October 17 and offers various formats for players to choose from—ranging from the normal edition to the collector's edition, dubbed the "Cena Nuff" edition. 

The various editions come with different bonuses for fans. The deluxe boasts different playable versions of guys like Kurt Angle, John Cena, Batista and Rob Van Dam. The "Cena Nuff" edition offers those features, plus special packaging, an exclusive John Cena action figure, a piece of ring mat autographed by the man himself and limited-edition in-game cards. 

As expected, 2K Sports also has a strong season-pass offering on the way: 

Fans can see the cover art featuring Seth Rollins there if they haven't already, so we'll make a point to spotlight the first major gameplay reveal via trailer. 

Also as expected, this is the best-looking offering to date: 

Other than looking great, this year's edition offers another robust roster, numbering as many as 180 playable characters. Other than the usual names, recently revealed guys like Curt Hawkins, Enzo Amore, No Way Jose and Tyson Kidd, to name a few, speak to the depth here. 

Oh, and Mr. McMahon himself will make an appearance.

One would think it is hard to keep up with making so many different superstars feel unique and true to their real-life versions—especially when the characters themselves change attire and motivation throughout the course of a year. 

But for creative director Ramelle Ballesca, making each superstar feel unique during in-ring promos have been a focal point of this year's game, as reported by to GameSpot's Mat Elfring:

"Especially with the promos, one of the things that we felt we were lacking, was just making superstars feel like themselves when they're getting in the ring, doing those promos. We added a ton of animations to specific superstars like the Undertaker, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Enzo so that they feel like themselves when doing a promo." 

The lengthy interview is worth an entire read, as it dives into the details of pursuing a wrestling game with the best graphics possible. It also reveals the implementation of eight-player matches and a MyCareer mode with a focal point on storylines, ranging from in the ring to backstage and beyond. 

Outside of extensive customization in MyPlayer mode, WWE 2K18 goes big in an interesting way with Road to Glory. It's a new competitive online mode in which players will take their created superstars through daily challenges with the aim of qualifying for a pay-per-view event mimicking those seen in real life. 

For longtime fans of the series, the depth of customization available when it comes to creating a superstar will make for some interesting elements to this new mode while increasing the shelf life of the game. 

Fans might wonder how an innovative mode like Road to Glory can evolve. For now, executive producer Mark Little told NDTV's Rishi Alwani it's all about sticking to the mainline pay-per-view schedule: 

"For the first year we're going with the main pay-per-view schedule and try to solidify the mode and experience, this is a mode that we're going to keep working on throughout the year, we know we have unique parts that are rewards [in the form of in-game cosmetic items] for winning pay-per-view events at each pay-per-view, it's something that you can get new content [with new challenges and match ups] too."

But that leaves the door open for major expansions in future editions of the game, which will be an exciting talking point for fans as they jump into the mode this year and follow along with the schedule. 

Each installment in 2K Sports' WWE 2K series has focused on depth and matching the same juggernauts offered by the NBA team under the same umbrella. With a borderline exhausting list of superstars in the game atop the deepest customization we've seen yet, it's hard to imagine fans will be disappointed with the upcoming release. 

The game launches Friday for many, with the rest getting it next week.